Cigar lighter



' Oct. 6, 1925. 1,556,253

M. H. SHOENBERG CIGAR LIGHTER Filed Sept. 1. 1923 ii :lliwlmi IN VEN TOR.

Patented Oct. 6, 1925.

UNITED STATES MILTON H. SHOENBERG, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CIGAR LIGHTER.

Application filed September 1, 1923.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MiL'roN H. SHOEN- BERG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cigar Lighters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object a device adapted to be energized by electricity for the purpose of lighting cigars, cigarettes or the like. Other objects will appear from the drawings and specifications which follow.

These objects I attain by arranging the various elements of my lighter substantially in the shape of a watch case having a flanged opening on one side surrounding and pro tecting the heat element and through which the heat element is exposed, and I mount the heat element and electrical connections and switch leaf all upon a single insulating member adapted to be clamped between the front and the back of the case. Supporting posts are fixed to the insulating base and rest against insulation on the rear casing, whereby dis ortion is prevented when the cigar is pressed against the heating element. The heating element is mounted on the insulating base and is formed as a flat helix, thereby securing the maximum heating surface and most rigid support and is adapted to be energized by the least expenditure of current.

By referring to the accompanying specification my invention will be made clear.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 represents a preferred form of my lighter in cross section on the line II of Figure 2.

Figure 2 shows a plan view of my lighter with the top member of the casing removed and with portions shown in cross section on the plane II-1I of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows in perspective the form of helix employed as a resistance element.

Figure 1 is a side view of my lighter.

Figure is a detail of the switch leaf and its base.

Throughout the figures similar numerals refer to identical parts.

A top member of the casing is shown by the numeral 1 having a central flanged opening 2 through which the cigar or cigarette may be inserted to be ignited on the heating element 3. A circumferential wall of the casing is shown at 4 and a back plate at 5. The plates 1 and 5 and the elements between them are clamped together by a suitable plu' Serial No. 660,514.

rality of screws as 21, 25, 26. At 7 is shown an insulating base, preferably a mica plate, held between the flanged edge 8 of the mem her 4 and the top plate 1.

Adjacent of the rear plate 5 is a second insulating member preferably also a mica plate 9, which provides insulation and support for the other parts of the device, as more specifically pointed out below. At 10 is a stem carrying a push button 11, which latter is provided with insulating button 12, against which the spring 13 normally bears. Spring 13 formed by a base plate 14; being preferably bent at right angles therewith and bent away from the mica base 7 to prevent heat conduction. The plate 1% 8X- tends from the supporting screw 15 under the mica plate 7 and is secured in place by the aforesaid screw 15. A similar supporting screw 16 connects to one of the terminals 17 of the energizing circuit. The opposite terminal 18 of the circuit is connected under the binding screw 19 to which also is connected the resistance wire 8, the opposite end of the said resistance wire being held by the binding post 20. These posts 19 and 20 preferably bridge the space between the mica plates 7 and 9 so that the plate 7 is supported not only about the peripheries of the elements 1 and 4:, but is also preferably supported against distortion by the posts 19 and 20, and the screws 15 and 16, when the cigar or other pressure is applied in the direction of the arrow 21. The metallic piece 14 is on the underside of the mica plate 7 and is arched away from under the heat element, whereas the resistance 3 is on the upper or exposed side and directly within the opening 2.

The post 20 is provided with a threaded collar 21 so that when the spring leaf 13 is pressed by the button 11 against contact 21 a current flows through the resistance coil 3. bringing the same to incandescence so that a cigar, cigarette or the like inserted through the flanged opening 2 may be readily ignited. The insulating bushing 23 is provided in the member at for the leads 17 18 and I prefer to provide one of the con necting screws as 24-, close to this bushing, about which the terminals 17, 18 are straddled to lock them in place with respect to the bushing 23.

Particular attention is directed to the shape of my resistance or heating element, as shown in perspective in Figure This lll helix is preferably of nichrome wire or other resistance wire, and is flattened or formed upon av flat mandrel, its peculiar flat shape olfering a large flat incandescent surface for lighting the inserted cigar and providing also a stiller structure against pressure, and a more intense heat due to the proximity of the two flat sides of the coil. It will also be Seen that all of the elements involved in the electric circuit are fixed upon the single in sulating plate 7, thus enabling their assembly thereon before the plate is inserted between the members 1 and 4, and greatly simplifying replacements and repairs.

I claim:

1. In a cigar li liter, a heating element comprising a plura ity of convolutions of resistance wire formed as a flattened helix with air spaces between the respective con volutions and air spaces between the flattened portions of the helix.

2. A cigar lighter comprising a base member of insulating material, binding posts fixed thereto, a relatively fiat helix with a central opening therethrough of resistance wire fixed to one binding post and switch means inter sed between the other binding post and t e helix.

3. A cigar lighter comprising a base member of insulating material, binding posts fixed thereto, a relatively flat helix of resistance wire fixed to one binding post and switch means interposed between the other binding post and the helix and comprising a spring leaf and attachin strip therefor, said strip centrally arched away from the base and its ends fixed thereto and on the opposite side from the helix.

5. A cigar lighter as set forth in claim 2; wherein there are attaching screws and wherein the binding posts and attachi screws extend from the base and rest upo insulation independently supported andthus support the base against distortion and a pair of electric circuit conductors assing through a fixed bushing and strad ling it one of said attaching screws whereb the conductors are pinched right and le 1; between the said last named screw and the said bushing.

(3. In a cigar lighter, a resistance element comprising a plurality of parallel spaced convolutions of resistance wire, said convolntions of relatively elongated form and parallel with each other whereby they form a flattened helix with the flattened sides approximating each other and the heat ncra-tcd on one of the sides is intensifie the heat developed in the proximate side.

7. In a cigar lighter, a heating element comprised of a plurality of successive con.- volutions of resistance wire of helical form sa d convolutions flattened in two parallel planes approximatin each other and an air space between the PEI generated in the convolute portions in one of the planes is intensified by the heat generated in the proximate convolute portions of the other lane.

TON H. SHOENBERG.

nes whereby the heat 

